Traveling bag



C. H. SEITZ TRAVELING BAG April 30, 1935.

Filed Feb. 16, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

April 30, 1935.

c. H. SEITZ TRAVELING BAG i e e 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CHHRL ESHENRY 56/ 72 ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 30, 1 935 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE TRAVELING BAG Charles Henry Seitz, Philadelphia, Pa.ApplicationFebruary 16, 1933, Serial No. 657,050

6 @laima. (Cl. 190-50) This invention relates to traveling bags whichare made of soft, or semi-soft material, which do not have a rigid framewhich serves the double purpose of stiffening the bag and carrying the glock elements, and which are equipped with either a slide fastener orsome other lock element and has for its object the provision of a newand improved traveling bag of this type.

Sport bags of the above described type have in been found objectionablebecause they lack the element of rigidity and collapse. This not onlydetracts from the appearance of the bag but also makes it more difficultto pack the same. It is an object of this invention to provide a sportit keep its shape at all times. I

Another object of this invention is to produce a sport bag of soft orsemi-rigid fabric which shall have rigidity and keep its shape at alltimes but which shall practically be as easy to manufacture, assembleand produce as the non-rigid, collapsible sptrt bags now in general use.

The above as well as other objects ofthis invention and the advantagesarising therefrom tion and the drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of my novel bag whenlooking at the same from v the top, parts of the same being broken awaynovel structure and the relative thickness of my reinforcing bead andgusset carrying the bead being greatly exaggerated for the purpose ofclearness.

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 isa perspective view of my novel bag when looking from thebottom, parts of the same being broken away for the pupose of moreclearly illustrating my novel structure and the relative thickness of myreinforcing bead as well as the binding and support rivet and of the bagcloth per se being greatly exaggerated for the purpose of clearness. I

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein similar referencenumerals and reference letters denote similar parts the traveling or 50sport bag B is composed'of two side members I and a center member 2 ofsuede (see Figure l) the lower ends 29 and 2! respectively of which (seeFigure 4) are joined to a bottom member 8 by means of a line ofstitching 9; or in any other 55 nner desired. I The center member 2conbag of this type which shall have rigidity and will become apparentfrom the following descrip- I for the purpose of more clearlyillustrating my stitutes a portion of the top and the end members 3 ofthe bag B. The member 2 is slit centrally thereof for a portion of itslength, as shown at 4, to provide an opening for access to the bag.The'elements of the slide fastener are attached 5 to the free edges ofthe opening 4 thereby providing means to lock the opening in the bag. Atang 6 is associated with the elements of the slide fastener to properlyactuate the same. The bag is provided with the usual handle members Ifor 10 lifting and carrying the same. These elements of the bagincluding the slide-fastener locking means are in and of themselves oldand wellknown in the art and do not constitute a part of my inventionand for that reason will not be here further described,

The bag is reinforced and stiffened on each of its sides by means of areinforcing and stiffening bead ID the ends 22 of each of which areanchored at the corners of the under side or bottom of the .bag by meansof the cap or mushroom rivets 23 the body portion 25 of which extendsthrough a suitable aperture 28 formed in the bottom member 8 shown inFigures 3 and 4, each of said beads II) extending upwardly from the saidanchor points in a curve along the side of the bag as shown in Figures1, 3 and 4.

Each bead I0 is composed of a gusset member I I and a reinforcing andstifiening rod I4. Each gusset member II is composed of a reinforcingand stiffening rod receiving portion I2 which terminates in the materialattaching flaps I3.

Each reinforcing rod used in the bag herein shown is made of springsteel about one-thirty-second of an inch 2") in diameter and is encasedin a paper filler and cover member I5. The ensemble of the gusset II andthe reinforcing and stiffening rod I4 is attached to the edges I8 and I9respectively of the members I and 2 respectively by the line ofstitching 21 or in any other manner desired, thereby uniting the membersI and 2. at their upper edges with the gusset and with each other. Theraw edge 29 formed by the jointure of the edges I8 and It to the memberI3 is covered or finished by encompassing the same with the U-shapedpiping member It and which is attached to the encompassed members by aline of stitching H or in any other. manner desired. The cap or mushroomhead rivets 23 are of the type well known in the art and are composed ofa bell cap or mushroom head 241 from which extends a cylindrical bodyportion 25 which terminates in the prongs 26.

It is believed that the manner of assembling the novel bag structureherein disclosed is obvious from the above disclosure and that severalmethods of assembly may be used to secure this re-' sult; yet, for thepurpose of obviating any possible misunderstanding the followingdetailed description of one assembly method is here given. The sidemembers I, the top and end member 2 and the bottom member 8 are cut tosize. The member 2 is slit to provide the opening 4 to therespective'edges of which are attached the elements of the slidefastener 5 and its manipulating tang 6. Suitable apertures 23are-punched in the bottom member 8 for the passage of the cylindricalbody member 25 of the bell heacL/ca'p, or mushroom rivet 23. The gussetII and the reinforcing and stiffening rod I4 are also cut to the propersize, the reinforcing and stiffening rod I4 is encased in the'filler andcover member I5 and the rod I4 with its cover I5 are positioned withinthe annular reinforcing and stiffening rod receiving member I2 of thegusset II. Adhesive is applied to the inner faces of the flaps I I forjoining these flaps to each other before they are united to each otherand to the edges I8 and I9 and the piping I6 respectively by the linesof stitching 21 and I1 respectively. The ensemble of the gusset II andstiffening and reinforcing rod I4 is placed between the respective edgesI8 and I9 of the members I and 2 respectively and joined together by aline of sitching 21 thus forming the bead ID. The raw edge 29 of theunited elements I8, I9 and I3 are then bound or covered by the U shapedpiping member I6 which is united to the elements I8, I9 and I3 by theline of stitching I1. The lower edges 20 and 2I respectively of themembers I and 2 are then joined to the bottom member 8 by means of thestitching 9 the ends 22 of the reinforcing and stiifening rod I4, beingbent in the necessary direction and amount for adapting them to roundthe corners of the bag and to assume the proper position on the bottomof the bag as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4. The ends 22 of thereinforcing and stiffening rod I4 are then anchored by means of the bellhead or mushroom rivets 23 the cylindrical body member 25 of which isinserted through the aperattached to the bag by stitching or in anyother manner desired.

The above disclosure is to be understood as being by the way ofillustration only and not by the way of limitation since many changesmay be madein the structurehere disclosed without de-,

parting from the spirit of my invention which consists in either makingas an integral part of a traveling bag of soft or semi-rigid materialand not normally provided with a rigid frame, a. stiffening member ofrigid material for reinforcing and stiffening the same, and /or inincorporating, as an integral part of a traveling bag made of soft orsemi-rigid material and not provided with a rigid frame, a bead of rigidmaterial for reinforcing and stiffening the same during one of the stepsnow followed in the production of the said bag without making anysubstantial changes in the steps now followed in the production of thesame, and/or in incorporating, as an integral part of a traveling bagmade of soft or semirigid material and not provided with a rigid frame,a stiffening and reinforcing member of rigid material without, however,making any substantial changes in the construction of the said bags. Forinstance, instead of producing a bag having all of the above principles9. bag may be made in accordance with. any one or any two of the saidprinciples: Or for any of the elements herein disclosed equivalents maybe substituted as, for instance, the substitution of other locking meansfor the slide fastener 5, or the substitution of cloth, soft orsemi-rigid leather, or composition (artificial) fabric and leathers forthe suede herein disclosed, or the substitution of any suitable materialfor the base member 8-, or the substitution of pliable wood or somemetal other than spring steel as material for the member I4, it beingpreferable although not absolutely necessary that the materialsubstituted for the spring steel have the quality of resiliency as wellas that of rigidity,

stitching wherever necessary or advisable, or the.

use of some other means such as sewing or stapling for the bell, cap ormushroom rivets used in anchoring the ends 22 of the bead III. It is tobe noted that my structure herein disclosed enables me to impart thequalities of shape and rigidity to a bag made of soft or semi-rigidmaterial and not having rigid frames by the use of a comparatively thinand light element thereby not adding materially to the weight of thebag. The principle here disclosed may, therefore, be adopted in alltypes of bags and the compartively heavy frames eliminated therefrom.Bags made in accordance with my disclosure have the element offlexibility in addition to that of shapeliness and rigidity.

In the light of my disclosure the above as well as other changes willreadily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and it is forthis reason that the claims which I have hereunto appended for thepurpose of describing my invention should be limited only by the priorart.

The 'word non-rigid as used in the specification and claims is used todenote material which is either soft or semi-rigid.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and useful is:

1. As an article of manufacture a traveling bag consisting of a basemember and three members of non-rigid material attached thereto, two ofthe said threemembe'rs being attached to the said base member along oneof their respective edges, and extending upwardly from the said basemem-' ber to form the two sides of the said traveling bag, the third ofthe said three members being attached to the said base member along twoof its edges, extending. upwardly from the said base member to form theends and the top of the said traveling bag and terminating on each ofits sides in a curved edge, the said third member having an apertureformed therein for giving access to the inside of the said travelingbag, the said third member further having the elements ofa slide.

fastener attached thereto along the edges of the said aperture forclosing the said aperture, the

of non-rigid material attached thereto, two of.

the said three members being attached to the said base member along oneof their respective edges and extending upwardly from the said basemember to form the two sides of the said traveling bag, the'third of thesaid three members being attached to the said base member along two ofits edges, extending upwardly from its said base member to form the endsand the top of the said traveling bag and terminating on each of itssides in a curved edge, the said third member having an aperture formedtherein for giving access to the inside of the said traveling bag, thesaid third member further having the elements of a slide fastenerattached thereto along the edges of the said aperture for closingthesaid aperture, the free edge of each of the said two side wall membersbeing curved to complement and fit the curved edges of the said top andend member, a bead having a resilient and rigid member positionedtherein positioned between the said top and end member and each of a thesaid side wall members along the said curved edges, means for unitingeach of the said curved upwardly from the said base member to, form twopairs of oppositely disposed walls and a top member for the saidtraveling bag; one of the said three members being curved alongtwo ofits edges and eachof the other of the said wall members being curvedalong one of their-edges to complement and fit one. of the curved edgesof the said member having twocurved edges; a reinforcing and stiffeningbead, having a resilient and rigid member as a component part thereof,positioned intermediate each of the said members having one curved edgeand the said'member having two curved edges along the said line ofcurvature. means attaching the curved edge of each of the said membershaving one curved edge and one of the curved edges of the said memberhaving two curved edges to the reinforcing and stiffening beadcontiguous thereto, and means attaching the ends of the said reinforcingand stiffening bead member to the said base member.

4. As an article of manufacture a'traveling bag consisting of a basemember and three members of non-rigid material attached to and extendingupwardly from the said base member to form two pairs of oppositelydisposed walls and a top member for the said traveling bag; one of thesaid three members being curved along.two of its edges and each of theother of the said wall members being curved along one of their edges tocomplement and fit one of the curved edges of the said member having twocurved edgesra reinforcing and stiffening bead,-conslsting of a flexibleattaching member encasing a core of resilient and rigid material withina flexible sheath, positioned intermediate each of the said membershaving one curved edge and the said member having twocurved edges alongthe said line of curvature; means attaching the curved edge ofstiffening bead contiguous thereto; and means attaching. the ends of thesaid reinforcing and stiffening bead member to the said base member.

5. As an article of manufacture a traveling bag consisting of a basemember; three members of non-rigid material attached to and extendingupwardly from said base member to form two pairs of oppositely disposedwalls and a top member for said bag, one of the said pair of walls beinglonger than the other and the said top member having an aperture formedthereinto provide access to the inside of said traveling bag; lockingelements positioned upon the edges of said aperture for closing the saidopening; and a reinforcing and stiffening member of resilient and rigidmaterial attached at its free ends to the said base member and extendingupwardly therefrom in a curved line along each of the walls of the saidlonger pair of walls.

6. A traveling bag consisting of a base member; 'two pairs of oppositelydisposed walls of non-rigid material extending upwardly from the 'saidbase member, one of the said 'pair' 'of walls being longer thantheother; a top member, the

said top member having an aperture formed therein to provide access tothe inside of said traveling bag; locking elements positioned upon theedges of said aperture for closing the said opening; and a reinforcingand stiffening member of resilient and rigid material attached at itsfree ends to the said base member and extending upwardly therefrom in acurved line along each of the walls of the said longer pair ofoppositely disposed walls. p

- CHARLESHENRY SEITZ.

